The Newsie Show
by danc4him
Summary: Everything they ever knew was a lie. Everything was fake. What happens when one girl decides she is tired of being fake?
1. Chapter 1

_Hello everyone! This is my first story, and I am not sure how good I am at this... but you gotta start somewhere, right? So, anyway this is based off of a movie called The Truman show. Also, gimme me a break when it comes to the accents. I am not to good with those... :)_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Newsies, nor the story line of The Truman Show. So far, Genny is the only character I own. There will be other characters in later chapters._

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**Summary:**

**Everyday they got up, got dressed, got their papes, came home and hung out, then went to bed. Everyday it was the same thing. What if everything they knew was a lie? What if everyone they knew were actors and were paid to pretend to be their friends? What if one girl gets tired of pretending?**

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**Chapter one:**

"Oye, Mush! Ya hear me?" Racetrack Higgins, famed for his gambling skills, yelled in a thick Italian accent. The person he was yelling at jerked out of his daydream.

"Hmm, what didja say?" Mush Meyers asked, looking at his friend, who now sat next to him on the curb. Racetrack, also known as Race, unfolded one of the many papers that sat next to him and began to read.

"I said, how are da headlines?" Race asked, highly annoyed. On top of not sleeping well and the headlines being lousy, now his selling partner was completely out of it. "What's your deal anyways? Ya were staring at somethin'..." Race smirked and looked up from his paper. "Or someone?" Race licked his lips and raised an eyebrow.

"Eh, yeah." Mush replied, rubbing the back of his neck. Even after having many girlfriends and talking to the other guys about all these girls, Mush still got nervous and embarrassed when the guys prodded him on the subject.

"Shoulda know..." Race rolled his eyes and shook his head, looking back down at the paper in his hands. His friend, Mush, had always been known to fall for any girl in sight. That is how he got his nickname. He would turn to mush when a pretty girl talked to him. "So, was she a pretty goil?" Race inquired, not really caring.

"Well, yeah, she was very pretty. She had brown hair, and it seemed to glow in da sunlight. I didn't really get a good look at her eyes, but I bet they are beautiful," Mush continued to talk about his dream girl, blissfully unaware that his friend truly didn't care. "She was wearing a long skirt and a shirt that looked amazing on her. And-" He stopped short as his friend stood up, abruptly.

"Mush, I really don't care. No offense, but ya are always droolin' over some goil. How is this one any different?" Race, who now stood, folded his paper. He bent down and started to collect his other fifty-nine papers.

"But she is different. Just somethin' about her," He trailed off and stood up as well, now facing his friend. "I don't know how ta explain it. I'm sure, though, that if it's meant ta be, that I will see her again," Mush was pretty much talking to himself now, as Race gathered his papers.

"Whatever, man. But we gotta get sellin' now, or else we ain't gonna be able to eat tanight!" Race finished straightening his papers and turned to Mush. He smacked him playfully and smirked. "Getcha head outa the clouds and getcha papes!"

Mush rolled his eyes and chuckled lightly at his selling partner. Race was a great friend, but this was only to be expected from a smart mouth like Racetrack. Mush bent down to get his papers, and started to gather them. It took him a little longer than necessary, as his thoughts were else where. He glanced up, only to realize that Racetrack had already gone, and he now was on his own.

Sighing, he made his way toward his selling spot.

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A lone figure sat in a black, office chair. The person's face was hard as they watched several monitors in front of them. Jerald Harris watched as his daughter made a lasting impression on one of the boys. The boy was practically drooling as she walked by. A small smile played at his lips as the boy with the smart mouth joked with his friend._ Now this is good TV! _Jerald thought as the boy, they called Mush, fumbled with his papers.

These boys thought they were something with their papers and their money and their 'goils'. Everything they know is a lie, and they didn't have a clue. The millions of Americans that watched them every night at 9:30 did, though. Their lives were being watched, and they didn't have a clue.

He full out laughed as his daughter, Genevieve Harris, flirted shamelessly with this so called 'newsboy'. She bought a newspaper and giggled girlishly at some witty line the boy had said. His daughter made this part what it was. He had just asked her, well more told her, to come and work for him, and she just took the part and ran with it. He was so proud of her. Jerald beamed as she told Mush her name and then flipped her hair flirtatiously and sauntered off.

Thirty minutes later, Genevieve walked into Jerald's office. She now had on street clothes and her long, brown hair was pulled back into a pony tail. She held a coke in her right hand and a banana in her left. Her father stood up and clapped as she walked in. "Bravo! Bravo! That was amazing Genny!" He enveloped her in a tight hug.

"Thanks dad, but your gonna kill me if you squeeze any harder..." She chuckled as her dad's grip loosened lightly, but didn't completely let go. She hugged him back and put on a fake smile. Even though she loved to act and be apart of her father's business, she couldn't help but feel a little bit of guilt as she talked to Mush. The way his beautiful, brown eyes pierced her soul. And the way his smile made her smile. The innocence of him, and how he truly thought she liked him, made her sick to her stomach. She was tired of pretending, but would never say a thing. It was her father after all and she loved him, even if she thought that what he was doing was cruel and unfair to the boys.

"This is going to be great stuff tonight, Gen!" Her father exclaimed. "Our viewers have been waiting for a little romance. Jack and Sarah are a thing of the past! It's now Mush and Genny!" He laughed and offered her a seat next to him. "This is wonderful, Genny..." Her father smiled widely at her.

Genevieve wondered if her father ever felt any guilt for what he was doing. Ever since her mother had died, it had always been her and her father and eighteen young boys who had no idea that their lives were fake. Her father and his crew had raised them ever since they were babies in this fake world. New York City in 1900. Genny honestly wondered if anyone ever felt guilt. This show, The Newsie show, had been a project for over nineteen years now. It was one of the top shows in America and had thousands of people working on it. The boys were brought up in this make shift world, and people pretended to be part of the world. Everything was fake. The Jacob's family, all fake. The newspapers they sold, all fake. The people they sold them to, all fake. Everything was fake, and Genny was getting tired of being fake.

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_So, what do you think? Let me know. Also, I know the accents stunk, but oh well ;)_

_Love,_

_Dan4HIM_


	2. Chapter 2

_Okay, so here is the next chapter! Sorry it took me so long. After this next week (Show week) I'm going to try and get them out every week. _

_Like I said, this coming week is show week for me. If some of you don't know what the is, I can describe it in one word. Hell. Hehe, just joking. Bust seriously, my directors call it the week for hell. So, anyway, no chapters next week. Sorry._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Newsies. Insert witty saying about wishing to own Newsies here_

_WARNING: This is a filler chapter, and I had major writers block with it. I apologize!_

**Chapter Two**

Mush sprinted down the street, shoving aside people as he went. Shouts of protest could be heard from several people as he barreled through the crowds. It was mid day and the streets were very crowded. If Mush wasn't in such a hurry, he would have noticed the nice weather. Today was the sort of weather every newsie hoped for. The sun was shinning and the birds were singing, forcing everyone out of their houses and out unto the streets. This made for great business for the newsies.

Mush continued down the street, forgetting all about is unsold newspapers. They, being forgotten, rested peacefully were he had left them after he had sold her the paper. She, of course, was Genny. It had been a short, sweet conversation, but that was enough for Mush. He knew immediately they were meant to be. Call him a hopeless romantic, but he truly believed in love at first sight.

So, here he was, running full speed toward Race's selling spot. He wanted to tell Race about his dream girl, and he wanted to now. His friend was in sight now, and he couldn't hold it in any longer. "Race! RACE! Racetrack! RACETRACK HIGGINS!" He was now screaming at the top of his lungs and waving his arms wildly.

Racetrack, who had been in middle of a sale, turned to find Mush running toward him; looking like mad man. He groaned and turned back to his potential customer. He sighed as he found that they were now backing away slowly, with their eyes on Mush. "So much for that sale," He mumbled under his breath, noting that his customers were now turned the opposite direction, and pretending not to notice the crazy newsboys.

"Race! You're not gonna believe it!" Mush said, arriving at his friends side. He bent over, gasping for breath. It had been a long trek from his selling spot to Race's. His hands were on his knees and his breaths were shallow. Finally calming his beating heart, he looked up to see a very red faced Race.

"Mush! Ya idiot! Ya scared away me costumah!" He threw down his last paper in frustration. There really was no reason for him to be angry, but he had had so much trouble selling today because of the lousy headline. He had made up something ridiculous and those last few people were actually buying it, until Mush arrived.

"That doesn't mattah now." Mush waved his friend off. "Right now what mattahs is Genny!" Mush exclaimed, almost bursting with excitement.

"No, what mattahs is that you jist made me lose my last pape!" Race sneered, almost yelling by now. He kicked at the paper, now dirty and torn. Truthfully, he knew it was his own fault for losing his temper, but he wasn't about to admit that. Even if Race did admit this to Mush, he highly doubted Mush would care. All Mush cared about was this girl, and Race knew he was long gone now. Race sighed and looked up at his friend. "Whose Genny, Mush?"

Mush, overjoyed that his friend was actually asking questions now, replied enthusiastically, "The girl I was look-" Mush was cut short by Racetrack.

"Gawkin' ya mean. You'se were gawkin' at her!" Race interrupted him with a smirk on his face and dripping from his words.

"Sure, gawkin'," Mush established, with a role of his eyes. "Anyway," Mush added quickly, trying to direct Race's attention back to the matter at hand. "The girl I was... GAWKIN' at, I met her again today. Her name is Genny, and I was right, she had the most beautiful eyes!" Mush continued on with a dreamy look in his eyes.

"Okay, Mush. I'm glad ya found her." Race said kindly, but not necessarily genuinely. He pulled his pocket watch out and glanced at it and then back at Mush. "Lets go get lunch," Race suggested, or more commanded. Either way he was hungry and wanted lunch. Mush nodded absently, with a faraway gaze.

They made their way towards Tibby's, and several times along the way Race had to help Mush along. Every so often he would run into someone or almost be run over by a carriage, and Racetrack would yank him by the arm and pull him back to reality. They finally made it to Tibby's and had a booming lunch, filled with horseplay and joshing, mostly directed toward Mush and "his dream girl".

Genny nodded a greeting to the workers just arriving. It was around dinner time now and she was off work for the day. She felt bad for the people that worked the night shift. It was so boring; she had worked it before. All you do is sit for hours. Rarely did the boys ever get out at night, and therefore the workers had nothing to do. It was the worst shift, and everyone hated it.

Genny walked briskly down the hallway towards her dad's office. Her hair was pulled back and she now wore street clothes. She had gladly changed from her dress to these clothes; she was much more comfortable.

Suddenly, she heard a voice to her right, "Hello, Genny," Her shoulders slumped slightly as she immediately recognized the voice. Putting on a fake smile, she turned to greet the person, whom she dreaded talking to.

"Hello Ian.." She said with much more confidence then she felt. Ian was a family friend and had worked with Genny and the other crew members for as long as she could remember. They had been good friends, and together they caused all kinds of trouble. Then, about five years ago, Ian started to get bigger parts in the show. His head started to grow and he became more and more of a nuisance the more he opened his mouth.

"You did amazing today.." He grinned coyly. Her fake smile grew at his compliment. She had spent many years perfecting her smile, and was now proud to say she was a natural. He took a step toward her, and she almost gagged. His manner toward her had changed other the years. It as no secret that he liked her, and he flirted relentlessly. Genny hated it, to say the least.

"Thank you, Ian," She started. There was slight hesitation in her voice as she continued, "You did well also," Truthfully, she didn't even know if this was true or not. She hadn't seen him at all today, and she had wanted to keep it that way. "I would love to stay and chat," She took two, vague steps away from him. "But I have a few things to do," She smiled sweetly and turned to leave a very bewildered Ian.

Genny hated that boy. What's really sad about it is that they used to be best friends. Something changed and was continuing to change in him. He acted as if he owned the world. The show had changed him; Genny could see that. If her dad didn't love Ian so much, then Genny would probably already told him off. Her dad was to busy with the show to see Ian's true self, and therefore Ian was highly favored.

Arriving at her dad's office, Genny found it in chaos. Papers covered the table in the middle of the room, and people were rushing around. Genny made her way toward her dad, only to find him engaged in, what looked like, an intense conversation. Her face furrowed into a frown as she wondered what was going on. James, a worker she had known for awhile, walked by. She stopped him and inquired, "Whats going on, James?" Her hand was on his arm, and she could feel his muscles tighten from stress.

"One of the newsies decided to go to the jewelry store..." He trailed off. Did he think that meant anything to her? So what if one of the newsies went to the jewelry store?

"And what's wrong with that?" She asked, still keeping a firm grip on his arm, worrying that he would run away at any second. His eyes darted from her face to the people around her and then back again.

"We don't have anyone working there," He raised his eyebrows and frantically started to look through the papers he was holding.

Genny's mouth formed an "oh" as realization hit her. But she still didn't see what the big deal was. Why not just grab someone from the crew and put them in there? That is what they usually do. She voiced her thoughts.

"We would, but, well I don't know if you know this, but..." He rubbed the back of his neck and seemed to be struggling for the right words. "Your dad made a cut last month," Genny shifted her weight, uncomfortable under James steady gaze. "A big one. He cut about half the workers," He let the sink in and continued. "We don't have anyone to play the part, that wouldn't be recognized by the boys."

Genny crossed her arms over her chest and pursed her lips, thoughtfully. He was right, they didn't have anyone. If her dad cut about half, that probably meant he cut the extras, which would only leave the people that already have consistent parts. She couldn't do it, because one of the newsies had already seen her working at the bakery. It was like that for most of them.

She brought her gaze back to James, who was still searching through papers, "Why don't we just close the shop? That should buy us time to get another extra in here by tomorrow.."

James continued to search his paper work as he replied, "That's what I said, but your dad said it played to big of a part in the story line to take it out now," He looked up and smirked. "It has to do with you, ya know?"

Genny raised her eyebrows, "Oh yeah?" She prodded.

"Yeah. It's Mush. He wants to buy you something," His smirk widened and his green eyes shown with mischief as he noticed Genny's face flush. They were like brother and sister, and loved to mess with each other. This was just another opportunity to tease her. "Seems you got yourself a lover," He wiggled his eyebrows and chuckled. He turned and left.

Genny could feel the blush creeping unto her face, and quickly controlled it. She shook her head to clear it, and started for her dad. "Dad," she started. "Dad, can I talk to you?" She asked, well aware that she was interrupting.

Her father looked up from his work and smiled, "Genny, just the person I was looking for," He pulled her into a hug; leaving an arm around her shoulders as they separated. "So, did you hear?" He asked, his words fully conveying his joy about this situation. Anything that would help the show made him happy.

She nodded and looked up at him, "But what are you going to do about the whole not having a worker thing?" She knew she was completely changing the subject, but she was hoping her dad wouldn't question her about Mush.

He sighed and turned back to his paper work, removing his arm from her shoulders. "I don't know, but we need to figure out something soon. He is on his way.." Genny glanced toward the monitors and saw the topic of conversation making his way to the lodging house, no doubt to get money. Why would he buy her something so soon? He must really be a hopeless romantic. It did make good TV, even Genny had to admit that.

"Who do you have that would work?" She inquired, taking a step toward her dad's table. Her gaze drifted down to the paperwork lying peacefully, yet somewhat messy. She pursed her lips and looked up at her father.

Her father pursed his lips also, matching his daughter's expression. He crossed his arms over his chest and shifted his weight, not taking his eyes off of the papers on the table. "Well, that is the problem. Everyone either has been seen by the boys somewhere else, or we are planning for them to be seen," he rubbed his forehead and sighed.

Genny furrowed her brow and looked down at the papers again. The papers contained random worker profiles. Her gaze drifted over a worker who had played several smaller parts. "Why not him?" She inquired, gesturing toward the worker she was talking about.

Her father shook his head and took a deep breath, "No, we can't use him. He got into a fight with Blumets about a week ago," his hands now covered his eyes and he inhaled deeply. A lot of people wouldn't understand why this would be such a big issue, but Genny knew her father had his reasons to be stressed. They had gone through a similar situation before, and had made the mistake of putting an extra on the set without checking his background. This extra was recognized by one of the newsies and everything started to come apart at the seams. Luckily for them, nothing severe happened, but it was to close for comfort. None of them were ready to take that chance again.

"Why don't we use," She searched through the papers, and finally found what she was looking for. "Ah ha, him! Why don't we use him?" Genny suggested enthusiastically. "Yeah, he played a newsie extra, but we could always put a disguise on him..?" Genny asked hesitantly, calming down, and looking back at her father.

Jerald seemed to be thinking this over; Genny could see his wheels turning. They hadn't used this boy, Samson, for quiet sometime. Playing a newsie extra had landed him in some crazy situations, but nothing that he couldn't handle. Samson was an amazing actor, and it was a wonder to Genny why he never got bigger parts. She knew that he could pull off something like this. They could pop him into the jewelry store and he would be able to come up with a character right on the spot.

Finally, her dad replied, "Yeah, this might work..." He mumbled, rubbing his chin. He nodded a few times and then turned to one of his assistants. They talked in hushed tones, which left Genny alone, sipping her soda. Her mind wondered and she found herself thinking about Mush.

Mush was sweet, cute, and just all around nice. True, Genny had only known him a few days, but she just had a feeling about him. Genny hadn't had much experience or use when it came to guys. Living with your father and pretending to be something your not never led to romance. Especially for Genny. She didn't know the first thing about guys and therefore stayed away from them. Her philosophy was that she didn't have time for guys, and she just needed to focus on her future. But something about Mush made her doubt that philosophy, and it scared her. In some ways it enthralled her. She didn't know which side to follow. She was in a never ending battle with herself, and she could feel her heart winning.

Minutes later, a crowd was huddled around a monitor. It hosted a picture of the man of the hour. Mush walked down the street with a slight bounce in his steps. A tune rose from his throat as he hummed. His soft, brown curls bounced around his face, and his eyes sparkled.

A small blush crept unto her cheeks as Genny felt several eyes gaze her way. Hiding it quickly, she replaced it with a thoughtful look.

She wondered why Mush was going to the Jewelry store in the first place. They had just met after all. They hadn't even gone on a date. She couldn't even imagine what had possessed him to spend his hard earned money on a girl he hardly knew. Whatever it was, Genny found it sweet.

Butterflies flew recklessly about her stomach, unaware of the effect they had on her. Once again, a blush found it's way to her cheeks. Mush was acting ridiculously, and it was because of her.

Dozens of eyes watched the monitor. Many held their breath, wondering if this one boy could ruin their whole lives work. One, and only one, had a smile on their face. Her pearly whites matched her blush perfectly.

_There ya go! Again, I'm sorry about the delay and shortness. I wasn't going to cut it off there, but I just really needed to post it!_

_Next chapter: Mush goes to the jewlry store and meets Samson. _

The fun stuff is coming, promise! ;)

Luv,

Danc4HIM

_I write to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name._

_1 John 2:12_


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